Constructing the canon: exhibiting contemporary Polish art abroad in the Cold War era

The article focuses on the attempts of constructing and presenting the canon of Polish modern and contemporary art in the West after World War II. Initially, the leading role was played by Colourists – painters representing the tradition of Post-Impressionism. After 1956 the focus shifted towards artists who drew in their practice on tachisme and informel. However, the most enduring effects brought the consistent promotion of the interwar Polish Constructivism and its postwar followers. The article discusses the subsequent stages of this process, from the famous exhibition at the Paris Galerie Denise René in 1957, through exhibitions such as Peinture moderne polonaise. Sources et recherches (Modern Polish Painting. Sources and Experiments) from the late 1960s, up to the monumental Présences polonaises (Polish Presences) from 1983 (both in Paris), showing that these efforts contributed to securing a permanent position of Polish Constructivism within the global heritage of 20th-century art.